Separating device



Allg. 22, 1933. R E. HEDBERG A 1,923,200

y SEPARATING DEVICE Filed May 6, 1950 ATTORNEY WITNESSES Patented Aug. 22, 1933 UNITED STATES APATENT OFFICE SEPARATING DEVICE npy E. Hedberg, Grenfin, Saskatchewan, canada- Application May 6, 1930. Serial No; 450,254

.3 Claims.

varying constituents thereof in agreement with their weight, sothat each will be caused to reach separate compartments.

5 `Another object of the invention is to provide a separating device in which a current of air at a'substantial uniform velocity is directed against a dieet of the falling substance to be separated so that its constituents will be deflected to degrees depending upon their weight, the extent of deection therefore increasing with the successive de creases in weight of the constituents.

'A further object of the invention is to release Fa substance so that it can move toward separat-A 'ing compartments by gravity but to subject all parts of the substance to an air current of substantial uniform velocity so that those constituents of the substance varying in weight from others will be deflected toward the various com- 0 partments intended therefor.

Otherobjects and advantages will: appear in the following specification,v reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which y Figurev 1v is a side elevation of the improved 5 separating device. l

Figure 2 is a central vertical section.

Y Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 y of Figure 2.

Figure 41s a cross section taken on the line 4 4 9 of Figure 2. l

'Figure 5 is a detail section of'oneof the adjustable air sleeves. I

yP'lgure 6 is a detail plan view of the means by whichthe feed table is oscillated. `=5 Figure 'I is a modification illustrating a reversal in the mode of applying the air current.

As indicated in one of the foregoing brief statements, it is the present intention to adapt the hereindisclosed device to the separation of seeds. 0 This use is to be regarded as illustrative because it is conceivable that the device may. be employed for separating materials other than seeds.

The principle ofthe inventionis to direct a current of air against the falling which in *5 common with the other materials contemplated are generally known as the falling substance, thus to deflect or divert' the seeds of various kindsfrom the path of falling movement according to their weights or densities and catch them in separating compartments placed near the bottom of the device. To these ends the deviceV comprises` a feed hopper 1 which is loaded with the seeds to beseparated. `The seeds may be charged into the hopper continuously. The hopper comprises the inverted frustum of a hollow cone, the opening 2 of which is the place of dis-` charge ofv the seeds on to the conical top 3 of a circular feed table 4.

This table has a depending-'rim Sover which the seeds are caused to fall or flow'by gravity in tubular form. That is to say, seeds fallingover the rim 5 at all peripheral points of the feed table 4 will produce a circular sheet of seeds which may be understood as comprising a hollow cylindrical wall.V Y

This fall or flow of seeds occurs within a casing 6 which is perforated at '7 for the admission of air.l v The perforations may be arranged on any preferred orderand may extend as far down the casing as may be required. The band of perforations is annular. In practice there will beso many of the perforations that although each of these would be instrumental in producing a separate stream of air yet the combined effect against the tubular wall of falling seeds vis that of a single current of air.l

The thickness of the wall of falling seeds is subject to regulation by adjusting the feed table in respect to the tapering feed throat or annulus 8 of the casing 6. It follows that by moving the feedtable 4 up or down in respect to this throat that the available space will be decreased or' increased so as to llet varying volumes of seeds through. Both the rim 5 and the throat 8 may be corrugated, thus toA facilitate the ilow of seeds when the feed sleeve 9 of the table 4 is oscillated by means of an `eccentric pin l0.

This pin is carried by a suitably driven shaft 11. It occupies and Works in a slot l2 (Fig. 6)

kat the outer end of an arm 13 which is attached f to the sleeve 9. The sleeve 9 in turn, is attached ried feed table 4 are adjustable in respect there- An outlet 23 of the fan casing 19 appears on the outside of the casing 6. It is here'thatvthe lighter seeds are discharged, and the place into which they are discharged is immaterial. AThe outgoing current of air may be, piped to a suitable receiver.

ThusV far it will be understood that the action'v ofthe fan 20 is to setup a current of air in the casing 6. The air flows in at the-perforations 'I where it is directed at substantially right angles against the tubular wall of falling seeds immediately to the inside. Some of the seeds are heavier than others, and it follows that the lightest will be diverted to the center of the casing 6 whence they are drawn into the fan casing 19 vand discharged at the outlet l23.

The manner and means by which seeds are separated involve the following structure: Situated an appropriate distance above thel fan casing 19 is a sloping bottom 24, the lowest point of which has access to adischarge spout 25. This spout has a door 26 hinged at the top so that it will tendv to close. The volume of seedbehind it will cause the doorto open but otherwise the arrangement of the door will prevent an influx of i airI at the spout V25. The heavier seeds, being least deflected by the current of air will fall upon the bottom: 244 and be discharged at the'spout 25.

Mounted upon the bottomed or'rranged about the axis ofthe casing in some other preferred way, is apen 27 which has access to a second discharge spout 28. This spout has a hinged door 29 which operates on a principle identical with that of the door 26. The purpose of the pan 2'? is to catch lighter seeds, in other words, thosethat are deflected farther ,toward the center of the casing 6 by the air current. i

A central receiver'30 has a depending sleeve .3l which feeds and worksin theintake tube.18 of the fan casing 19. This receiveris thefrustum yof a hollow coneand its purpose is that of a hopper by which the lightest seeds are received are concentric, or substantially so. v,

They areso placed .as to catch the seeds in the successively more sharply delectedwalls of seeds. On the foregoing principle, a greater or lesser number of compartments mayl be` employed, thiswdepending on the number` of constituents to be separated from the substance..

It is not always possible to regulate theV speed of the fan. 20 for the creation of an aircurrent of the desired velocity.V Although this velocity will always be ,substantialbf uniform, the regulation of its effect upon the seeds is accomplished. by a set of adjustable.v pair of sleeves 32, 33,- 34 y and 35. These have tubular centers 36 by which they are slidably assembled on the hollow shaft 16. The upper-sleeve 32 is capped at 37' but the others have successively smaller flared flanges 38 which are intended .-for the purpose of pro-l viding the lighter grain from bouncing back intol the heavier grain when striking the sides of the air'sleeves. f a

the heavier Y Aing toward the intake tube 18j of the Fins 39 (Fig. 5) not only provide spacer between the air sleeves and their tubular centers 36 but also serve to prevent the central stream of air from swirling. Although the sleeves of the foregoing set are'spaced apart in the direction of the axis of the casing 6 they nevertheless dene a tubular. guide or central discharge conduit for the air current. l

These sleeves are vsupported and adjusted by means which in each case is asfollowsz-A double hook 40 (Fig. 5) projects from the sides of the 'hollow shaft 16 which is slotted at 41 for the purpose. 'Ihe central part of the hook is attached to a flexible element 42 which passes up vthe shaft 16 and over one or more guide pulleys v(notshown) .to a place where theY element is secured and from which it can be let up or down to adjust the respective sleeves accordingly. The Yhook engages the nether edge of the tubular center 36.

A similar form of suspension means is used for the feed table 4. The shaft v16 is similarly slotted at the place wherethe respective double: hook 43 appears, but these slots (not shown) are: wider than the others order to accommodate the oscillation of the feed table. f

A canvas or other `cover .46 may be used in conjunction with thecasingY 6. This cover will be usedtoconcentrate theair blast oncertain por--v tions of thewfalling grain. Forexample, should it-bedesired to concentrate the airblast on the. upper portion rof the` falling grain the cover wouldbe placed around the lower perforations. A greater volume of airwould thus be' discharged against the grain. This cover mayv ybeapplied in any suitableV way and it may also be as.` long as i its flexibility will hom the cover iev/'nere placeall Instead of employing a suction fan` forgthegcreation of a current of airy through the casing, the` latter may be sealed ini a housing 44 (Fig. '1)

which `by means of a conduit 45 is in communication with a source of compressedjair. `This housingwould have to cover only the perfora-g` tions??` and since `the housing islled `with air under. pressureit follows that air willgbe dis-v w chargedinto the casing 6 at all circumferential points. The` outlet 23 ofthe fpnnenfan casing 12.5

19 now becomes the` outlet of the casing 6.

The operation is readily understood. 'Grain to be separated is dumpedfintothe hopper 1 whence it escapes atthe discharge opening 2 V'onto the conical top of the circular feed ,table 4. Here it is spread out inpll directions and falls over the edge of the depending rim.5 in theform'of` aV tubular or cylindrical wall of grain.

This wall appearsv on they inside of the v,casing 6 immeriately vover the ends ofthe perforatlons 7 throughfwhichair is drawn by the operation of the suction fan 20.. Assuming that the grain contains secchi of different weights or densities, it follows at once that kthe current of airblowfancasing 19 will have varying veiects. 1 Y

'I'hose seeds that are heaviest .will drop most nearly straight and fall onto the bottom k24 which, for convenience, is known as one of la plurality of yseed cornpartrlents. ,Seeds somewhat lighter 1 will bedeectedfmore anddrop into the-pan 2'7 which constituteswanother compartment, while seeds still -lighteriwilllbe deflected more and enter the central receiver 30.. v l It is thus. easy tofvisualize'the separation or lthe sds into a plurality of strata, each tapering or inclining more sharply to the axial center. By

lplacing the separate seed compartments at the proper points the seeds in these strata will be intercepted and carried off to a point of discharge. The sleeves 32 and 35 are adjustable so that there will be an even suction in all parts of the inside of the casing 6. These sleeves are also adjustable in order to regulate the amount of air drawn in through the perforations. Itis conceivable that by lowering all of the sleeves so that each contacts the other the viniiow of air may be shut ofi. As the grain falls over the depending rim 5 the table 4 is made to oscillate by meansA of the pin 10 (Fig. 1) and arm 13so that any grain tending to stick around the periphery will be worked out. In either the instance of the form of the invention in Figure 2 or Figure 7 the current of air is made to strike the hollow cylinder `or wall of falling grain at approximately right angles. While the construction and arrangement of the improved separating device is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changes may be `made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims. l I claim: l l. In a separating device, a circular feed table to receive a. substance and from the rim of which table the substance flows in .tubular form, a central feed hopper to discharge onto the table, a casing in which the flow occurs, and a tapering annulus above the rim of the table and means to adjust the feed table relatively to the annulus to vary the thickness of the wall of owing substance.

2. In a separating device, a sleeve being part of an air discharge conduit, a tubular center for the sleeve, means engaging said center for the support of the sleeve, a hollow shaft upon which the center is guided having a slot` occupied by said means, and a flexible element attached to said means and passing through the shaft forV the adjustment of the sleeve in relationship to v the shaft.

3. In a separating device, a circular feed table to receive a substance and from the rim of which 'table the substance flows in tubular form, a cen- ROY E. HEDBERG. 

